# `plugins`

## Introduction


Use plugins when you need to add rules beyond the [built-in](https://redocly.com/docs/cli/rules/built-in-rules) and [configurable](https://redocly.com/docs/cli/rules/configurable-rules), or decorators beyond the [built-in decorators](https://redocly.com/docs/cli/decorators).
For implementation guidance, see [custom plugins](https://redocly.com/docs/cli/custom-plugins).

## Options

The `plugins` configuration is a list of paths to plugin files, relative to the config file.
You can include as many plugins as you need.

## Examples

A basic example of including two plugins from a directory named `plugins/` is shown in the example below:


```yaml
plugins:
  - plugins/my-best-plugin.js
  - plugins/another-plugin.js
```

Remember that you need to include plugins in the `plugins` section before you can use the content of the plugin elsewhere in the configuration file.

## Resources

- **[APIs configuration](/docs/realm/config/apis)** - Set per-API configuration options in redocly.yaml for customized plugin behavior across different API specifications
- **[Rules configuration](/docs/realm/config/rules)** - Define linting rules that work with plugins for comprehensive API validation and quality enforcement
- **[Decorators](/docs/realm/config/openapi/decorators)** - Apply transformations to your OpenAPI documents for enhanced functionality when used with plugins
- **[Redocly CLI cookbook](https://redocly.com/blog/redocly-cli-cookbook/)** - Find many practical examples of plugins and their implementation in real-world scenarios
- **[Configuration options](/docs/realm/config)** - Explore other project configuration options for comprehensive documentation and platform customization